


The Clothes Off His Back

by elfiepike



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-10
Updated: 2006-09-10
Packaged: 2017-10-13 13:56:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/138123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elfiepike/pseuds/elfiepike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nino's giving up, really, he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Clothes Off His Back

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [](http://cimness.livejournal.com/profile)[**cimness**](http://cimness.livejournal.com/) for betaing and hand-holding, & [](http://aeslis.livejournal.com/profile)[**aeslis**](http://aeslis.livejournal.com/) for being aeslis. :D

Nino's giving up, really, he is. He's used words (very subtle hints like, "Ohchan, I really like you," to which he received a distracted thumbs-up) and physical affection (that's honestly how OHMIYA SK started--but now it's evolved into something totally bizarre; Nino loves it but he's not sure how they went from suggestive dancing backstage to shiny silver outfits and a signature pose--though Nino does enjoy the pose [Ohno always feels so stable]) and even gifts--well, okay, he didn't try gifts. He wasn't sure what to get Ohno, who's the kind of person who will be happy to receive any present, happy and totally dumbfounded, even if it's his birthday or something. Ohno is the type who buys himself what he needs.

So, Nino's giving up.

"You're not really, though, are you?" Aiba asks.

"Yes, yes, I am," Nino says, taking another bite of ice cream.

"Saa.... That doesn't sound like you." Aiba sips his milkshake.

Nino pauses to consider. "Well, I'm giving up on getting his verbal consent, anyway. Now I'm just going to go for it, try to take his clothes off at every opportunity."

Aiba's shocked expressions are totally charming, Nino thinks.

\---

Nino starts small: the next day he steals the hat off of Ohno's head, grabbing the brim and pulling it backwards and up, leaving Ohno's hair in disarray (it sticks out in unkempt tufts behind Ohno's ears and strangely flattened on the top; Nino resists the urge to comb his fingers through it).

Ohno shakes himself out of a daze and smiles at Nino. "Ah," he says, "Nino." It's early yet so maybe that explains Ohno's non-response, but he doesn't mention it later, either, when his property is in full view in Nino's grasp.

Nino tries again, but there's no protest over a stolen sweater, jacket, or scarf--all on separate occasions. Ohno seems to not notice Nino's attentions, and for all that Nino finds it annoying to be so blatantly ignored, a part of him finds it bizarrely reassuring, like: if I can get away with this, what else can I do?

When Aiba catches him in the act, Nino always gives him a big thumbs-up. Aiba gets used to new situations quickly, but he still has to hide his smiles behind his hand more often; this is Aiba's version of subtle.

\---

Even so and somewhat to Nino's surprise, it's almost three weeks before Jun and Sho catch on. Predictably their reactions are quite different: Jun smirks and says, "Oi, get a room."

"Nino," Sho says, clearly dubious of the situation, "does Ohno realize that you want to get into his pants? Because he probably would be more helpful--"

Nino says: "You know Captain is an exhibitionist at heart," and, "It's more fun this way, don't you think?"

Sho says under his breath, "I love you like a brother but I don't need to see you get it on."

Nino punches Sho on the shoulder, playful and a little resentful; clearly there is no getting it on right now, that's the whole problem. "Prude."

\---

It becomes a regular thing, a game, almost, where everyone but Ohno is perfectly aware of Nino's intentions. Nino starts giving himself challenges, and Jun and Aiba act as enthusiastic judges.

For example: "Today I'm going to fuss over him," Nino says, and Aiba and Jun nod, comprehending.

When Ohno shows up, Nino's right there at the door, grinning. "Ohchan!" he says, sliding his hands underneath the collar of Ohno's jacket, pushing it off Ohno's arms and tugging the cuffs over his wrists. "Lemme put this away for you," and he sets it over a chair, and pushes Ohno to the floor, and unties Ohno's shoes, "How are you, Ohchan?"

Ohno, bewildered, says, "I'm okay--hey, where are you going with my socks?"

"I'm just putting them with your shoes, Ohchan," Nino says, as if this is the most natural thing in the world and the suggestion that he might be doing anything else impinges his honour.

Ohno scratches the back of his head. "Okay."

(Aiba scored him a solid six for facial expressions, but Jun only gave him a four. "I expected him to lose that second t-shirt, too," Jun says, and Nino glares at him, because Jun is such a pervert, but Jun is not allowed to perv over Ohno, Nino has dibs.)

(Sho manfully tries to show up after Ohno whenever possible; he doesn't even want to know.)

\---

They go to a new Mexican restaurant that Aiba found, so new that the place is practically empty, and the host looks flustered for a moment when they arrive. The windows are brightly lit with strings of chili pepper lights, glowing red and reflective.

After they've settled in and ordered (mostly at random; Nino can't remember if he's actually had Mexican before), Ohno's pocket beeps twice. "Ah," Ohno says, "I think I've missed a phone call--"

He goes outside, saying he'll be right back, he isn't getting any reception, and it's his mother, you know how it goes.

Jun immediately puts his elbows on the table, closing in on Nino. "Nino, I've been wondering."

"Yeah?" Nino picks out a tortilla chip from the small basket provided and pops it into his mouth whole, more for something to do than any real desire for it.

"What will you do when it gets warmer and Ohno stops wearing so many layers?"

"I'll think of something," Nino says. "Don't worry; it might give you wrinkles."

"You two--" Sho says, something like fond resignation or annoyance edging into his voice.

"He's come back in!" Aiba says.

They all turn to watch as Ohno steps in and is greeted again by the host. Ohno glances over, and Nino looks away; he doesn't like to be that obvious, and his thoughts are suddenly on depressing things, like the slow pace of his encroachment into Ohno's space.

Jun says, quietly incredulous and almost to himself, "Did he just..."

"How strange!" Aiba says.

"He did," Sho confirms, similarly disbelieving.

Nino looks up from the chips. He's somewhat disappointed to see that Ohno, heading over to the table, already has his coat over one arm.

Of course Ohno doesn't say anything about the four of them staring at him so blatantly; he just slides into the empty seat next to Nino.

They don't often get to eat casually together, all of Arashi hanging out just for fun, so they dig in and talk and laugh throughout the evening. There is nearly an altercation between Aiba and a potted plant on the way to the bathroom, but it's somehow avoided.

Nino finds himself idly contemplating what might happen if he were to spill something onto Ohno's shirt--his water would be enough, he thinks--

He feels restless, even sitting this close, restless and itching to be moving somehow closer still.

\---

He only remembers when he's heading home how everyone had sounded so surprised when Ohno stepped back inside; he wonders what he missed, suddenly, and wishes that he hadn't looked away.

"Aibachan," he says, nudging Aiba gently. Nino and Aiba take the same train line home, and Nino has graciously allowed Aiba to sprawl against his shoulder. "Aibachan, Aibachan."

Aiba drinks too much when he's pacing himself against Sho and Ohno, who both down alcohol like it's juice. He mumbles something into Nino's sweatshirt, and lifts his head reluctantly. "Mmm?"

Nino almost doesn't ask; Aiba doesn't look like he'll be the most reliable narrator at the moment, but Nino's curiosity is too strong. "What did Ohno do that was strange?"

Aiba blinks at him. He's gone through his giggling phase already and is now well into the phase where he's ready to pass out anywhere he's able, but Nino can see him thinking and thinking. "When was Ohno strange?"

"When he came into the restaurant, earlier," Nino says. He can be patient. "You said, 'how strange.'"

"Oh!" Aiba sits up a little, remembering; he tilts noticeably to the right. "He did this thing--you know how you've been trying to get him, and you've been doing this for... a few weeks now?"

Nino nods, thinking, of course I know, but he doesn't want to interrupt Aiba's train of thought.

"When he came in, I think you didn't see this, which is odd, because you're very observant usually--when he came in, he looked over at you, like he was--like he does, you know, when he's not really paying attention to anything, just moving automatically, you know how Captain is--" Aiba starts to gesture too emphatically and smacks his hand against the seat. "Ow!"

Nino smirks, asks Aiba if he's all right, but really he's thinking, I know exactly that expression on Ohno, he looked at me like that? That Ohno could find Nino to be a part of the scenery... it's disgruntling.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Aiba says, and slouches, stretching his long legs out in front of him. He says, "He looked at you, like that, absently, and then he took off his coat."

The train slows to a stop at Aiba's station. Nino watches him carefully through the window, but Aiba seems steady on the platform. As the train pulls out and gains momentum, Nino can hear Aiba in his head, voice rushed and slightly blurry with Aiba's normal excited nature untainted by glass after glass of margarita: he looked at you, he looked at you, and then--

\---

Nino knows that Ohno is a creature of habit. He notices this new addition to Ohno's particular practices almost immediately the next time they see each other for rehearsal: Ohno steps in through the open door of the studio, illuminated by the sharp angled sunlight from the windows, spots Nino, and takes off his jacket. He's smiling like he's not quite ready to be working but still prefers it to other things. "Nino," Ohno says, "hey."

Ohno can make anything look easy and automatic, but Nino has been watching him for a long time; there's something in the order of events that strikes him as important.

If I hadn't been here before him, he thinks, what would Ohno do?

This can work to Nino's advantage, he's sure. Somehow.

\---

On tour, they all go to Jun's room after a performance to hang out. Nino has a plan for this situation, namely inviting Ohno back to his room before he passes out.

It's been a long day. "Nino," Sho says, "Nino, you're falling asleep. Go to bed."

"Okay." He lifts his arms up, like a kid wordlessly requesting help getting to his feet. "Ohchan, leader--"

Ohno, sitting on the floor in his bathrobe and boxers, looks up.

Nino says, "Leader, walk me to my room?"

Ohno nods, not entirely focussed. Nino leans on his shoulder as they walk down the hall, their bare feet making almost no noise on the carpet.

Nino hands Ohno the keycard when they get to his room. Ohno manages the lock and the light switch, leading Nino to the bed closest to the window (Nino always takes the bed closest to the window when he has a choice).

"Come on, Nino," Ohno says, quiet, tired. "Time for bed!"

Nino clings, burrowing his hands under Ohno's robe, like a long hug, his palms cool against Ohno's back. Ohno holds him, smooths Nino's hair down with one hand, and says, "We need to sleep, ne."

The sound fills just the few inches between them.

Nino says, "You should stay here."

Nino thinks that it must be a sign of something that he's asked this more than a few times of Ohno and Ohno's never once refused him. Nino is not sure if it's a sign that the possibility exists--of Ohno returning his feelings--or if it really means that Ohno could never feel anything like that for him, but Nino sees no reason to stop asking.

They sleep tightly, clinging to each other. Ohno is just in his shorts, and he's warm where his skin presses against Nino's undershirt and pajama pants, and comforting to sleep against. And, well--

Nino wakes up early in the morning, too early for it to be time for them to actually get up, and he's straddling one of Ohno's legs and rocking just the tiniest bit. He's hard, and even this small pressure feels electric. He thinks: this is one way Ohno could find out. But Ohno sleeps like the dead, and Nino stays quiet, so quiet, hiding his face against Ohno's neck, breathing with his mouth open to keep from making a sound, hyper aware of Ohno's steady heartbeat.

It's illicit.

Nino thinks about Ohno waking up and taking Nino in his elegant, precise hands, maybe saying Nino's name, Nino can imagine him saying it--

\---

Nino extracts himself from Ohno afterwards, feeling a little grossed out with himself. He cleans himself up in the bathroom, and stares at himself in the mirror.

"What am I doing?" he says to his reflection. "Really, what am I doing."

Ohno is still asleep when Nino comes back out. He's rolled over onto Nino's side of the bed, blankets half off him, his back smooth.

It's not in Nino's nature to leave things alone. Otherwise, he might have stopped there, gone back to sleep in the other bed, maybe, backed off a little, kept himself from unnecessary touches.

But: it's not in Nino's nature to let things be.

He crawls back into bed with Ohno, curves himself around Ohno's spine and falls asleep.

After that, something about the dynamic changes. More specifically, Nino's body starts to react differently around Ohno, like: I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready for you, Ohchan. Like he's always ready to go that one step further.

It's right around then that the first heatwave of the summer really kicks in, and even the short distance from the airconditioned van to the cool, dark arenas is sticky and wet with humidity.

\---

A few days pass, and then they hear from their manager: I'm so sorry, but it seems the hotel's airconditioning is broken. Shall we try to find another one?

It's late, and the dark night sky is warm, heavy, but they're already almost there; it doesn't seem worth the fuss when they're so close.

Nino follows Ohno to his room after he's gotten his keys. Ohno smiles at him. "I'm gonna get some ice," he says, and disappears down the hall.

Nino's stripped down to his boxers and undershirt and is contemplating a cold shower when Ohno gets back, still so dressed and presentable that Nino suddenly can't stand it. He thinks of his advantage, of Ohno's habits--there is no time like the present.

"Looking at you is making me hot," Nino says. Nino takes the ice from Ohno's hand and sets it on the counter by the teapot. He pushes the door shut with one hand.

Ohno blinks down at himself, then looks at Nino. "Ah, yeah," he says. He kicks off his shoes and moves past Nino into the room proper, heading for his suitcase.

It's all taking too long for Nino. He comes up behind Ohno, taking the hem of Ohno's shirt in his hands, lifting. "Move your arms, please," he says, and Ohno, obedient, well-trained, does so, with only a single startled "ah!" to show his surprise.

With Ohno's shirt off, Nino rests his chin on Ohno's shoulder and looks down, already working on Ohno's belt.

"Nino," Ohno says, like he can't decide if he should be protesting this. His hands hover a half-inch away from Nino's wrists.

Nino says, "Did you want to register a complaint?" He tries to keep the tone conversational, but there's something in Nino that's coiled and ready.

Ohno must be able to tell; Nino feels Ohno's whole body fall still against him.

Ohno's belt buckle clinks as it comes apart.

Nino slowly, so slowly, works the buttons on Ohno's pants. He can feel Ohno's heartbeat through all the points where their bodies touch; it's gratifyingly quick.

"Don't move, ne, Ohchan," Nino says, almost whispering, low and quiet.

Ohno wears his pants fashionably loose; they start to slide down easily once the buttons are undone. Nino only needs to nudge them the tiniest bit, sliding his palms along Ohno's hips, Ohno's skin is so smooth.

The humidity, the heat, it's made everything tacky, Nino feels like their bodies are slowly being glued together.

Nino trails one hand up Ohno's torso, an uneven line from Ohno's hip to his belly to his rib-cage, and up further still, resting lightly on Ohno's collarbone. He looks at Ohno's profile: Ohno blinks, and blinks again, then closes his eyes, the tip of his tongue peeking out of his mouth, wetting his lower lip.

Nino moves without meaning to, his hand drifting to Ohno's mouth.

It's like his reactions are something he can see only from a distance, Nino is so focussed, watching Ohno, feeling him tremble in his arms. Nino feels strange and powerful, full of potential energy, the kind that can cause an earthquake, the kind that can move mountains.

There's a knock on the door.

They stand motionless, as if startled from a daze.

There's another knock, and their manager says from outside the door, "Ohno-kun, do you know where Nino is?"

Nino, startled, pulls back, and Ohno calls out, "Ah, he's--"

Ohno pulls on his pants, going to the door.

Their manager is holding Nino's cell phone. "We found this backstage; is Nino-kun here?"

Ohno nods, moving to the side a little. Nino can't manage a smile, he feels his face frozen into something he's certain is unreadable and strange.

"It's unlike Nino-kun to forget this," their manager says, smiling fondly. (Nino has been preoccupied as of late.)

Ohno takes the phone.

"Please sleep soon, both of you," their manager says.

Ohno says, "We will," and shuts the door.

There is a space between them, the space of so many steps and so much air, very real; Ohno, half-dressed, staring at Nino, seems like some new and hidden mystery. Nino is holding his breath; he can feel his control of the situation seep out of his skin.

Nino didn't have to look at Ohno, before.

Ohno goes to Nino, his steps are light on the carpet, light and elegant, with Ohno's conciseness of motion. He closes the space between them until they are at a familiar distance, and when he reaches out, his hand on Nino's arm could almost be innocent, it's so light and gentle.

The room is so warm, so so warm.

They're both sweating, just a little, their temples shining.

To Nino, it's like he's being pulled slowly from sleep and noticing each sensation as it occurs to him: sweat running down the back of his neck, Ohno's hand on his arm and moving up--along his shoulder--down, slowly, down the neckline of his shirt--

Nino clears his throat. "Ohno," he says, low.

Ohno's been watching his hand run along Nino's edges; he looks up when Nino says his name, and meets Nino's eyes. His mouth is open just a little. Nino can see him swallow.

"You want to touch me like this," Ohno says.

Nino can't say anything at all.

He's been waiting for so long; this is too important for him to shoot off his mouth the way he normally might. He's afraid, afraid even though a part of him is suddenly, absolutely certain everything will be all right.

He swallows, and he feels he can't say anything, or he might ruin it.

Ohno is watching him so closely, his fingertip making a slow back and forth along the neck of Nino's undershirt, only traversing maybe two inches total.

Ohno says: "Can I touch you?"

Nino nods, because it's all he can do.

Ohno doesn't move at all for half a second, and then he leans forward and kisses Nino.

Nino can't move for just a second, he feels like he's falling, like he needs something to hold him up. He feels like he should be melting, but: he's been coiled up for so long, he's been waiting for so long, he's been ready, ready ready--

Nino opens his mouth, closes his eyes, there are too many choices, too many good things right in front of him, he's incapable of choosing any other action. Ohno's kissing him like he's trying to learn how to speak through a thorough study of the way Nino's mouth moves.

The bedside lamp is on. They both have their eyes closed fast. Nino just wants to touch Ohno, even more than this, this connection isn't enough, but he doesn't want to stop kissing Ohno ever. He reaches out and Ohno catches his hand, holding it tightly, so tightly.

\---

"SHOCHAN, SHO, SHOCHAN."

Sho only just fell asleep so it takes him a moment to think: oh yes, that's someone pounding on my door, that's Aiba yelling.

He thinks, it's possible that nothing at all is wrong, and that I'm now actually asleep and just dreaming that Aiba is pounding on my door--

"SHOCHAN, MY TOILET EXPLODED, SHOCHAN--"

It turns out that Aiba's toilet really has exploded (or is, at the very least, running in the wrong direction). Sho leaves Aiba washing off his feet in Sho's unexploded bathroom, a towel around his waist, and wakes up their manager, who says immediately this is too much for anyone to bear, please gather your things and I'll arrange everything. Suddenly the hallways are filled with Arashi and Arashi staff walking softly and talking in low voices.

Sho goes back to his room, packing up the few things he had spread out. "You all right, Aibachan?" he says, looking over the room one last time.

"I think so," Aiba says. "I need new pants." He sounds so pathetic and young that Sho can't help smiling.

Their manager ushers Jun into the room. "You can borrow mine," Jun says through a yawn.

Their manager says: "Sho-kun, do you know where Nino-kun is?"

\---

Sho doesn't bother with Nino's room, and goes straight to Ohno's. He knocks, at first just one little _ratatat_ with light knuckles, and then harder--but there's no response.

"C'mon, you guys--" he tries again. He can't hear anything through the door.

So he hunts down the manager for a copy of Ohno's keycard. All he's thinking is how much he would love to be asleep, right now sleep would be fantastic--keycard in hand, he knocks one more time and the uses the key to let himself in.

"Satoshi--" Sho says, and stops short.

Ohno and Nino didn't even turn when he opened the door, kissing intently like the outside world had no effect on them.

Sho thinks: maybe I really _am_ dreaming--and then he hears shouting in the hall, everyone packing up, so he says: "Satoshi! Nino!" and Sho is pretty sure he's in that stage where he's ignoring what he's seeing in favor of processing it later.

"Get dressed," he says, "we're changing hotels."

Jun peeks in, duffle bag over his shoulder, and grins in his totally stupid Jun fashion. "What's going on here?" he says.

Sho takes another step into the room, but can't bring himself to actually go any further. "Seriously," he says, putting his hand over his face, "please put on your clothes, we're leaving in five minutes."

Aiba crowds into the entranceway; it really wasn't designed for this many people. "Matsujun!" he says, accusing and sleepy, "You wear tight pants!"

Ohno and Nino part, reluctantly. Ohno's blinking cow-eyed and uncomprehending, but Nino's eyes flash with barely-tempered annoyance.

They're still holding hands.

"Ah!" Aiba says, looking over, "Ten points! Great faces!"

In the hallway, their manager is calling for everyone to please come down to the lobby, the vans are ready.

\---

The three of them make it a group effort to hustle Nino and Ohno into shirts and into the van and into their separate seats, Nino between Aiba and Matsujun in the second row and Ohno next to Sho in the third.

Nino notices only just as the van starts moving; Jun has the most evil grin on his face.

"Oh, fuck you," Nino says.

Behind him, Ohno says: "Shokun, what's going on?"

Sho takes care of Leader, so he'll forgive Ohno just this once that he had to see Nino getting it on, and he pats Ohno on the head. "Let's not get into it, all right?"

Ohno blinks, but nods off soon against Sho's shoulder; it's been a long night.

\---

Nino comes out of the bathroom, already changed from his stage costume, to find the dressing room empty. Nino can feel the summer in his skin; he's ignored it all day today, focussing himself on one step at a time, but now he can feel the heat in his heartbeat, he can feel that coiling spring inside him, tensing and ready.

The door opens, loud in the empty room.

"Ohchan," Nino says.

Ohno stops in the doorway, "Nino--" like what he's seeing maybe isn't really there.

"Ohchan," Nino says again; he can't move unless he's sure this isn't a dream, or that at least it's still the same dream he's been having since last night.

Ohno steps inside, shutting the door behind him. The white fluorescent lights shine on his still-damp forehead. He doesn't look away from Nino once.

That's all that Nino needs. The sound of his footsteps on the linoleum is a quick rhythm, and Ohno meets him halfway. They don't bother to move properly around the vinyl sofa, Nino kneeling on its slick dark surface and pulling Ohno over, his hands clenched on Ohno's collar, kissing and kissing and kissing like they never stopped.

Nino's hot, so hot. Ohno has one arm around Nino's back for balance, his other hand sliding down Nino's side and further.

Ohno's hands are artist's hands, precise and talented, and Nino's been waiting and ready for so long now. Ohno's kissing him, and Ohno's hands--

Nino loosens his grip on Ohno's collar, just a little, and thinks that everything considered he maybe should have expected that. "Sorry," he says, breathless, pressing his face against Ohno's neck.

"It's okay," Ohno says.

Nino smiles and looks Ohno in the eye. "Let me make it up to you."

\---

If the door opened and shut a moment later, they ignored it. Ohno may have talented hands, but Nino's always been good with his mouth.

\---

EPILOGUE:

Sho comes down the hallway rubbing his hand on his forehead.

"What's up?" Jun says; it's rare for Sho to look so flustered.

"My eyes!" Sho says, making a gesture back in the direction he came from that was hard to interpret. "They were in there--and--and--"

"Ten points!" Aiba says, delighted.

Jun studies Sho's expression, and nods. "Agreed."

"Don't you two care about my _sanity_?"

**Author's Note:**

> NOTES:  
> 1\. totally and completely inspired by the karaoke box scene in the _naisu na kokoroiki_ PV.  
>  2\. the line about drinking alcohol like it's juice is from a response ohno gave in an interview which OF COURSE i don't remember either the translator or, you know, anything. ahahah, ahem.  
> 3\. dubious!sho is the brainchild of aes. :D  
> 4\. cimorene: you know, if it's like a pavlovian reaction, right  
> cimorene: so it must still work after the end of the story!  
> elfie: yeah XD  
> elfie: ahahahahahahah  
> elfie: YES  
> cimorene: even if they're sleeping together!  
> elfie: ahahahahahhahahah i approve!  
> cimorene: maybe eventually nino can get him to automatically strip to the skin if he's wearing only one shirt! or maybe to wear fewer clothes to bed!  
> cimorene: enter bedroom - see nino - remove nightshirt


End file.
